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Politics Prevail: Oregon Wolf Captured and Removed from State Against Widespread Opposition

(03/29/1999) - Defenders of Wildlife today reacted with disappointment to the
news that the wolf that briefly called Oregon home had been captured and
relocated over the weekend. Calling the capture a blow to natural wolf recovery,
the leading national wolf conservation and recovery organization warned against
similar future actions and suggested that wolves be allowed to roam where nature
takes them, as long as they remain trouble-free.

"This wolf was doing exactly what she was supposed to," said
Defenders President Rodger Schlickeisen. "She was staying away from people and
livestock, hunting on natural prey, and looking for a territory to call her own.
But once again, preemptive fears about what a wolf might do prevailed, and now
she's been removed."

The wolf, B-45, wandered into Oregon from neighboring Idaho in
February. She thrived and did quite well while in Oregon according to U.S. Fish
and Wildlife (FWS) officials who had been tracking her every move since she
entered Oregon. She was captured with the aid of a net gun near the town of John
Day, Oregon. Data collected after her capture indicated B-45 was healthy and had
actually gained weight while in Oregon. FWS officials were concerned about her
ability to find a mate in Oregon and cited that as a reason for her capture and
relocation to Idaho. However, mating season is well over for the year.

"The lesson here is that we should let nature take its
course," said Schlickeisen. "She probably would have returned to Idaho in search
of a mate, but we should have let her make that move on her own. Wolves have to
be allowed to disperse into their historic, suitable habitat, and they shouldn't
be bound by artificial, political boundaries."

Some Oregon officials pressured FWS to capture and relocate the
wolf because of potential management concerns. But the wolf had caused no
trouble, and Defenders of Wildlife had already extended its Wolf Compensation
Trust to cover Oregon, an act that assured ranchers that they would be
financially compensated, at full market value, for any livestock losses due to
wolves.

"The `Little Red Riding Hood' syndrome still triumphs over
common sense," says Schlickeisen. "We wouldn't send Fish and Wildlife agents to
retrieve a bald eagle that flew across state lines. Wolves need to be given the
same chance if they are to avoid extinction. Wolves don't eat grandmothers, and
they rarely attack livestock."

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Contact(s):

Cat Lazaroff, (202) 772-3270

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Coexistence is the order of the day in Oregon, thanks to months of discussions among Defenders of Wildlife, Oregon wildlife officials, the governor’s office and the ranching community. A livestock compensation and wolf coexistence bill unanimously passed the state House and Senate and was signed into law by Gov. John Kitzhaber in August.